Since I haven't flown since mid-September, just before the recent changes, I was wondering if someone could give me a brief synopsis of the real changes that the TSA recently made. I would appreciate both the official word from our helpful TSA screeners who contribute here, along with how those changes actually seem to have been implemented, as viewed by the FT community, including laptops and the show carnival. For example, I was 85% successful when I told a screener that my shoes weren�t profile, since they were less than 1� and contained no metal. However, I think I saw somewhere that the shoe criteria for shoe removal have recently changed, and I don�t want to make a fool out of myself if I am wrong. I did a lot of flying this summer and before, and I got very used those procedures. However, it seems that drastic changes, (like coats and pat downs) have occurred, but I haven't yet been able to gleam what these changes actually mean for someone at a checkpoint.

Thanks in advance.

The "changes" are pretty unclear, but here is my understanding of current procedures:

• Be prepared to remove your shoes. Not all stations are obsessed with shoes, but at many (including LGA on at least one of my recent trips through--it's hard to keep 'em all straight) they will subject you to secondary if you don't remove them--regardless of whether or not your shoes fit the mysterious secret profile.
• Laptops are still coming out of bags and being placed in their own bins.
• Coats, jackets, and sometimes even sweaters are getting x-rayed (no wearing them through the metal detector).
• If you do get secondary, expect much more poking and feeling than in the past.

Remember, if your goal is speed through the checkpoint, just don't argue with 'em. It's not worth it. And I always stick my wallet and cellphone in my daypack before I go through, to speed things and to minimize chances of theft (or me forgetting them).

I'm finding more TSA inconsistency with policies changing day to day, even at the same airports.

The shoe carnival is more inconsistent than ever.

Myself -- I approach the WTMD with my shoes on and go through with them on unless I am specifically told to remove them. Today I was not even allowed to enter a WTMD without removing my shoes first, despite protest.

If I have time and patience, I might keep em' on, go for secondary, and fill out a comment card. If I am at a checkpoint where they are "strongly encouraging" all shoes to be removed, I will politely explain my shoes have no metal shanks and see what the reaction is -- sometimes I'll be waived through, other times I am told I will go to secondary if I do not remove them.

I've not had any shoe removals at MSP, CLE, or JFK -- and a mixed bag between SDF, EWR, DTW, etc. Sometimes the shoes are fine, other times they aren't and I go to secondary. Really makes me wonder if any SOP actually exists. At some other airports I've been to since mid-Sept such as LHR, LGW, AMS, and FCO, my shoes are never a problem, but neither is the TSA

With that said, the TSA has sent me to secondary for not beeping, but failure to remove shoes. We can thank Adm Stone and his special friends for the enhanced shoe carnival and more "friendly" secondary procedures. Complete pat downs, including sensitive areas for both males (around the front) and females (the chest). If you have eyelets on your shoes (the only metal on mine, but not enough to alarm the WTMD), that will cause the wand to beep and your shoes will subsequently be removed and x-rayed during a secondary. Should this occur, be sure to request they fetch your shoes and return them; otherwise you may be fetching them shoeless.

Any bulky winter jackets must be removed, as usual. However, it seems Adm Stone and his special friends now feel suit jackets, sport coats, & zip up sweaters must be removed and x-rayed so we are "safe".

If you are in a sane location and clearing a checkpoint at an airport such as LHR, LGW, AMS, or FCO you may leave your zipper-up sweater or sport coat on. I made the mistake of removing my zip-up sweater at LGW last month and they would not let me put it through the x-ray. The security agent said, "Mate, it's just a jumper, you don't need to put it through the x-ray". Sanity does exist, but one must cross a pond to enter the sane zone.

Other than removing your jacket/sport coat/zip up sweater, and more "friendly" secondary searches, and a shoe policy with the consistency parallel that of the postal service, not a lot has changed.

If you were 85% at avoiding the shoe carnival, it's more like flipping a coin now. Beware: at some airports, the coin flipped has two heads.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

P.S. If you need to get through quickly, remove your jacket/coat, remove your shoes & put your mobile, keys and coins in your carry-on. Keep your BP out for multiple checks.

I don't know if I will open a can of worms or not but here goes. Yes you don't have to take your shoes off BUT if the person on the walk thru in their judgement whether right or wrong it still a judgement feels the soles includung the heel meet the profile and you don't remove them you will more than likely get additional screening. Most screeners see enough shoes in a day they know or have a good idea which one have a metal support. This is to help you get thru screening faster and not hold up the line waiting for the passenger to take them off after beeping. Folks we are not looking for metal in shoes, we are looking for thing that go boom in the night. Trust me the only thing most screener want to do is their jobs and get passenger thru as quick as possible and safely as possible. Screeners don't make the rule only follow the rule. The current rule are loaded with judgement calls.

The front torso on a male isnt a sensitive area.

It has nothing to do with xray, everything to do with visual inspection.

I thought by "front area" he meant scrotal palpation, which many men have complained of being subjected to. See this post on Newsstand.

Anyway, the TSA also thinks touching my breasts is acceptable as long as they avoid my nipples, so I have exactly zero confidence in TSA nomenclature regarding what areas of a person's body are intimate places.

his terminology is ambiguous. TSA shouldnt be jiggling the baby beans on a man during a torso pat down

Boy that didn't take long to jump all over.

Eyecue,

For clarification - the screener made contact (though clothing) with a specific part of of crotch area.

My zipper alarmed during secondary with the hand held; subsequently, the area from the top of my zipper to the bottom of my zipper was patted down. Perhaps this contact was accidental, perhaps it was how this screener was told to resolve the alarm. I can only speculate here, but accident or not, I don't appreciate being patted down in this area. Is it the end of the world? Of course not. Did it piss me off? Absolutely.

By the end of the secondary I was seeing red and not only was a TSA Supervisor present (who was initially called over when I told the screener there is a difference between suggesting and requiring shoes to be removed -- he didn't like that and said I failed to follow his "orders"), but a LEO was present as it was clear I was outraged. The only one I was able to have a civil conversation with was the LEO, who assisted me in obtaining information to file a complaint. Talking with this particular TSA Supervisor was like talking to a brick wall.

Now, I don't know ... SOP is. In a more recent secondary this was not done, nor was I even requested to flip/roll over the top of my slacks (which was usually standard for a secondary, even before the new procedures).

In conclusion, not knowing this ultra-secret SOP - perhaps it was accidental, perhaps that was how he was trained -- I don't know. He did give me notice before patting down this area (along with every other area) and explained because my zipper alarmed, it had to be cleared.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

Maybe the screener had seen Spinal Tap a few too many times?

So, in summary, the new procedures absolutely do not protect your sexual organs or your sexual areas from being touched by the screeners. Your private areas are most definitely at risk of being violated. I'm sorry you're so bored with my mentioning this fact, TSAMGR, but my comment was perfectly on topic if someone asks what are these new screening procedures going to be like.

Conduct which would be called molestation if your priest or your teacher did it is being called "Standard Operating Procedure" at TSA. Shame on the American people for allowing this disgrace.

This is wrong wrong wrong wrong. The screener that cleared DSF_Traveler's zipper did it absolutely wrong. With males and females both, we are not allowed to touch the zipper area. This is very specific, so I don't see how there can be any waffle room as to this regard.

It's wrong, but it happens. It happened to me shortly after the TSA took over in 2002 at a couple of gate gropings. Fortunately, that Mineta-ordered nonsense is largely a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, two months ago, some garbage bribes some Russian airline security personnel, couple of airplanes blow up, and all of a sudden we need to feel each other up in this country in the name of "safety."

A more logical response to the entire incident, of course, would be a massive sting to find out if any screeners are receptive to bribery.

While I wholly agree with you, this is wrong wrong wrong wrong. I am a female and had this happen to me. The screener patted all the way down the zipper to the crotch and when I instructed the screener to use the back of her hand, she forcefully told me "this is not a sensitive area, I do not have to use the back of my hand." While it may not be a sensitive area on her body, it certainly is on mine. She said she needed to clear the alarm the handheld made when it passed over my zipper.

While you don't see how there can be any waffle room, it happens anyway. What do you suggest we do or say when this occurs? Is there a specific non SSI rule to quote?

Mygirl - Thanks for your post. This is good to know what happened was wrong and completely out of line (with no waffle room to this regard).

I'm not sure how far my complaint will go, but I have been contacted by a DHS/TSA higher up (email address was a dhs.gov) who said she would get the FSD involved. The FSD was cc'd on the email and I have that email address from the message headers as well. She was also familar with the supervisor I dealt with that particular day.

I'm not too sure if I should expect to hear back from her, but I do have her telephone number & facsimile number which I will use for a follow-up.

As far as what the new "correct" secondary procedures are, I get the impression there is a lot of confusion. This particular secondary was because I didn't remove my shoes -- yet another secondary at the same airport because of an SSSS resulted in a much quicker pat down with several areas not touched which were touched in previous secondary at this checkpoint (including my zipper area). In fact, I didn't even have to roll/flip the front of my slacks out -- which I've always had to do for a secondary before this new procedure started.

I do know the screener in question is still working the checkpoint as I see him on a regular basis when I pass through the airport, but fortunately have not had to go through his lane or deal with him since.

Question: If I do get this screener again in the future, is it possible to request another screener to do a secondary?

Best,

SDF_Traveler